M-W Vocabulary builder: Unit 3

For those who are interested in participating:
http://1point3acres.com/bbs/thread-15588-1-1.html

ambi

ambient/ambience (法语似乎是ambiance. the internet radio that I play everyday as background music is "ambiance classique"). The candle light and violin lends the simple dinner a romantic ambience.

ambiguous: The so called guru gave nothing but ambiguous interpretations of current events.
ambivalent: I am ambivalent about going to the reunion - on the one hand it would be fun to see some long lost friends again; on the other hand I really need to prepare for the upcoming exam.
ambit (limit): Any discussion on the graduate school application process, research and study in the US graduate school, etc, falls within the ambit of this bbs.

epi

epilogue
epiphyte: an epiphyte is different from an parasitic plant, because it does not take nutrients directly from the host plant.
epitaph: I want my epitaph to read that I have tried my best to be a person of probity.
epithet: the bullies hurled epithets at the new kid at school.

hypo
hypochondriac: someone that worries he or she is sick all the time - often times their ailment is purely psychosomatic.
hypothetical/hypothesis/hypothesize: We made emergency plans for all the hypothetical mishaps we could think of.
hypoglycemia: You can take some sweets to alleviate the symptoms of hypoglycemia.
hypothermia: After long exposure in the freezing cave, the hunter suffered from severe hypothermia.

therm/thermo
thermonuclear: Thermonuclear power plants may be one solution to our energy crisis.
thermos
thermal:
thermodynamic: One application of thermodynamics can be found in the first generation steam engine.
BTU: British Thermal Unit: (quantity of heat required to heat 1 pound of water 1 degree F) - also used to describe BTU/hour

poly

polymer:
PCR polymerase chain reaction
polygamy: Some Mormons practice polygamy in secret compounds.
polyp: some kind of growth on the nose, vocal cord or intestines.
polyglot: My cousin met a polyglot 17-year-old during the school orientation - she speaks 6 languages!
polygraph: The suspect volunteered for a polygraph in order to prove his innocence.


prim:

primate
primordial: the universe evolved from a primordial soup/cloud/ooze of gas.
primal: To protect one's young is one of the primal instincts. It's a primal pleasure to sit around the camp fire.
Primer: "The little SAS book - A primer"  . We are distributing a primer on graduate school application through the download link on this bbs.


homo: (same)
homo sapiens (person) homo economicus
homesexual

homonnym (3 types), 1 A sounds and spells like B, but has different meaning from B; 2. A sounds like B but spells differently and has different meaning from B; 3. A spells like B but sounds differently and has different meaning from B.
homograph/homophone 参见robot chicken里面的hymonym song...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHgt7ZZZHOg 儿童免进
homogeneous/homogeneity/heterogeneity: 这个词专业里面用的好多，太习惯了
homologous 同源的 The words listed in this section are homologous - they share the same root "homo".
homogenize: Milk sold in the US is all homogenized or super homogenized.


dis
dissuade/persuade again: We dissuade all participants from using ad hominem in discussions; instead we encourage amicable exchanges.
disorient: After being made to spin in place for 60 seconds, I am too disoriented to find the exit.
discredit: Competitors tried hard to discredit us in the market but our customers saw right through their tactics.
dislodge: It takes quite some effort to dislodge people's long held belief.

Latin borrowings:

ad hoc (we elected an ad hoc committee to lead the group through the emergency)
ad hominem
post hoc (one logical fallacy is called post hoc, ergo propter hoc - After this therefore because of this)
alter ego (My best friend understands all my needs and desires and can serve as my alter ego). (Even though she is a suburban housewife, her alter ego plays the intelligent social flower in the city).
de facto: She is the de factor leader of the group, since the previous leader's sudden demise.  
quid pro quo: Quid pro quo: I will get you a plea bargain, if you tell us where the rest of your accomplices are.
ex post facto: Since it has been clearly stated that 纯灌水 is not allowed on this bbs, all ex post facto 灌水 will be punished.
modus operendi = MO (method of operation, mode of operation). A serial killer may change his signature, as well as his MO.
modus vivendi : Without an effective technical solution to weed out spammers, we came up with a good working modus vivendi, posing strict restrictions on new comers.